The court trial to determine whether Led Zeppelin plagiarized the Spirit song Taurus when they wrote Stairway to Heaven is scheduled to start May 10. Word is Robert Plant and Jimmy Page won’t be testifying in the case.

Recently, Led Zeppelin attorneys lost their bid to stop the trial from going forward, ending years of legal wrangling over the case’s validity. But Zeppelin’s legal team has scored some victories recently.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs who are representing the estate of Spirit founder, the late Randy California on behalf of the band’s former bassist, Mark Andes, won’t be allowed to present non-album versions of Taurus while making their case. Basically, this disallows the testimony of experts who would offer their opinions based on other Taurus recordings, such as demos and studio outtakes.

The trial to determine if Led Zeppelin plagiarized Spirit is scheduled to start May 10.

The judge presiding over the Zeppelin/Spirit plagiarism case has also forbidden testimony regarding Led Zeppelin’s previous battles with songwriters who’ve accused the band of ripping-off their music. Also reportedly off-limits: discussion of Led Zeppelin’s wealth.

You decide; did Jimmy Page and Zeppelin rip-off Spirit? Or, is music composing like a sponge with the feel and atmosphere of both tracks simply coincidence? Have a listen to the start of both tracks and share your thoughts in The Q!’s comments section.

Comments

Sounds like somebody’s trying to cash in yet again on the brilliance of others !!! In the world of music we can find dozens and dozens of songs that have similar chord progressions but unless you are brilliant and wealthy no one ever seems to care about them . Long live Zeppelin !!!